The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor George Perfect, appointed our current Shadow Cabinet in September 2026. The allocation of shadow portfolio responsibilities is as follows:
Leader of the Opposition: Cllr George Perfect
- Strategic overview of all Council services and directorates, specific responsibility for partnerships, devolution, democracy and governance.
- Group strategy including relations with wider party, Local Government Association, and Election 2027.
- Management of all Shadow Cabinet Members and opposition staff.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition & Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance and Workforce: Cllr Gary Hackwell
- Finance including exceptional financial support.
- Council workforce – including HR services and organisational change.
- Employment matters and audit committee spokesperson.
Shadow Cabinet Member for Business Support, Climate Change and Digital: Cllr Habib Tejan
- Business support department (communications and marketing, internal audit and counter-fraud, legal services, revenue and benefits service, cost of living support, welfare, customer contact, and IT), all functions under Chief Operating Officer excluding Finance and HR.
- Council plan
- Digital – Medway 2.0, digital transformation,
- Climate change – including climate change working party.
After the Leader and Deputy Leader, Cllr Tejan is the most senior member of the Shadow Cabinet.
Shadow Cabinet Member for Health and Adult's Services: Cllr David Wildey
- Health and adult’s services, including public health.
- Kyndi.
Shadow Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Education: Cllr Mark Joy
- Children’s services and education.
- Child friendly Medway and corporate parenting board champion.
Shadow Cabinet Member for Place: Cllr Trevor Clarke
- Physical and Cultural Regeneration – all excluding planning – including, sport, leisure, tourism, heritage, culture, libraries, flood risk, and jointly with Shadow Cabinet Member for Planning and Development, regeneration and the local plan.
- Front Line Services – highways, parking, safer communities including CCTV, bereavement services, regulatory services, and waste.
- Economic development – further education and adult’s education, town centres, community hubs, and economic regeneration.
- Strategic housing, housing management and travellers.
- Medway Norse and Medway Development Company.
- Property and council assets, including Gun Wharf development.
Shadow Cabinet Member for Planning and Development: Cllr Jim Gilbourne
- Planning, including executive decisions, development management and planning committee.
- Planning policy, and jointly with Shadow Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Community and Housing, the local plan, and regeneration
- Deputising for Shadow Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Community and Housing where necessary on all place matters.
Shadow Cabinet Member without portfolio (Group Secretary): Cllr David Brake
- Supporting Leader of the Opposition in driving group’s objectives.
- Supporting Shadow Cabinet Member for Business Support.
Opposition Chief Whip: Cllr Barry Kemp
- Group oversight and all Whip’s matters incl. Councillor conduct committee.
